Legion wants cell tower on land

160-foot pole planned on Rucker Road

ALPHARETTA, Ga. – A new cell tower is proposed to go up in Alpharetta, this time on Wills Road.

AT&T is proposing a 160-foot monopole cell tower to go on 201 Wills Road, on the site of the American Legion Post 201. The tower would be placed toward the road near a grove of trees and would itself be disguised as a tree.

The pole will be welcomed by the American Legion, said Post Commander Marty Farrell.

“We were approached by a company interested in construction a cell tower on behalf of AT&T,” Farrell said. “We have a rather large lot, and we thought it would be appropriate as a steady revenue stream for the future of our organization.”

The Legion sits on 12 acres of land, with the frontage taken up by a partially wooded war memorial featuring several large pieces of machinery – a tank, jet and helicopter sit on the land, easily visible from the street. Besides the Post building, there is a baseball field at the corner of Wills Road and Rucker Road. Behind the baseball field is a thick grove of trees. This is where the tower is proposed to sit.

“We wanted to make it as unobtrusive as possible and to fit in with our landscape to be accepting to the [nearby] neighborhood,” Farrell said.

Farrell said that, during the recent snowstorms, it was difficult for members inside the Legion to get a cell signal, which is poor to begin with inside the building. A cell tower would fix that, not just for the Legion members but also those living in the area.

“People understand that if you are going to have communications, you need the infrastructure,” Farrell said. “But nobody wants it in their backyard. This is actually in our backyard.”

The tower is in the early phases of consideration. It is taking public comment for 30 days and will proceed to council for approval or denial after public hearings.

Post 201’s neighbors have not yet been contacted for their comment, Farrell said. Public meetings soliciting input will be held before approval of the tower.